Cthulhu's Bonsai
by Magnet-Head
Summary: A routine survey of a remore star system finds an abnormal object that requires further study. This sparks off a number of discoveries and situations that hint at something going on behind the conscious world.
1. IG-PS Survey Log-0824

Arlan – "Realigning telescope to list item number 3. No wobble detected."

Bensin - "Noted. List item number 3 is designated 'Rawlica'. Proceed."

A – "'Rawlica'. Someone likes card-games. List item number 3 'Rawlica' in view. Star emissions detected. [pause] Red dwarf star."

B – "Noted. Matches the preliminary data."

A – "Obstructions detected in line with asteroid belt. Four planetoids detected [pause] and one pseudo-planetoid."

B – "The registrar on your ass for calling them 'Plutos' again?"

A – "From furthest out from the star, planetoid number 1, 'Rawlica I', showing no signs of atmosphere. 2 moons detected."

B – "Noted."

A – "Planetoid number 2, 'Rawlica II', showing no signs of atmosphere. 1 moon detec-

[pause]

B – "Arlan? [pause] Senior Surveyor Arlan!"

A – "Yeah? Oh, sorry. The lens must be smudged."

B – "'it must be smudged', he says. Error 40, I say."

A – "Rawlica II has a moon, but it's stationary."

B – "So a geostationary orbit."

A – "I suppose but that does not seem like the correct term. Heck, I'm not even sure 'moon' is the correct term either."

B – "What in the blazes do you mean?"

A – "Look, see for yourself. If it's just me slowly acquiring cataracts, I'll buy you lunch."

[shuffling of chairs]

A – "Planetoid number 2. See the moon above it's top?"

[pause]

B – "Huh. [pause] Let's reset the telescope. Something must be wrong."

[Telescope IG-PS-4 Reset requested at this time. See IG-PS service log 402-2 for details.]

B – "Right, recording recommenced. Arlan, in your own time."

A – "You are not going to like what I am about to say."

B – "Go ahead."

A – "Rawlica II's 'moon' is in the exact same position as before. And I rescind calling it a 'moon'.

B – "What would you call it then?"

A – "It's a moon-sized object above Rawlica II's north pole, supported by some structure that extends from the surface. An orbital elevator maybe? But it would be hundreds of miles across, not to speak of its height."

B – "Could it be a mountain? A Marie Celeste 2: Electric Boogaloo?"

A – "It would be a very narrow mountain with an extremely flared top. By my estimation, if it was on Earth, it would break atmosphere."

B – "I think it's best if we, uh, note it for a specific survey and continue with the rest of our list. Rawlica II is clearly abnormal."

A – "Noted. Planetoid number 3, 'Rawlica III'. Showing signs of atmosphere. Probable gas giant. No moons detected.


	2. Excerpt from 10 Years after Rawlica-II

I work for InGenious Stellar Mapping as a Lieutenant under Captain Camden, and alongside my colleague Lieutenant Dashiko. Oh, and my name is Emma Emriks.

Our company is contracted to the Hoshii Stellar Observatory and carry out their close-range surveys such as when they call for us. We keep at least two shuttles on hold for their requests. Our shuttle just so happened to have been the longest in dock when the call came out for a close-range survey to a system on the eastern edge of the Milky Way, specifically the planet Rawlica II. We left our dock on the Moon with no issue and our journey there was equally uneventful. I think Lieutenant Dashiko has later said it was suspiciously quiet. So, we got to the Rawlica system well on schedule and approached Rawlica II. Immediately we could see why this survey had been requested; Rawlica II seemed an utterly barren planet, a dead husk much like a version of Earth's Moon that was some 12% larger than Earth, with no detectable atmosphere. Except for one irregular feature.

There was a tree growing on it. At first, we could not believe our own eyes. We recalibrated the sensors and Captain Camden called a day off after we had gotten the first few images, for we believed we had somehow all come down with stress. A tree couldn't grow like that, we all thought. But it was. The next day, when we were all fully rested, we had to admit we had not been wrong. The tree was enormous. The word 'Enormous' doesn't quite describe it. Awesome, in the old sense of the word. We were about as far out from the planet surface as the distance between Earth and the Moon, and you could see it, with the naked eye. You know how it was an old urban myth that you could see the Great Wall of China from space, back when it wasn't yet repurposed for apartment buildings? Well this was that but real. Horrifyingly real. I can understand why the researchers that found it wanted it examined more closely. This was abnormal in the extreme. Comparing to reference data from Earth, the tree would break atmosphere even before the canopy began. At first, we thought it might be some abstract sculpture left behind by some alien race but all data we could gather from our distance suggested the tree was fully organic and alive. It took us 3 days before we dared venturing closer to Rawlica II. The next surprise, which I suppose we had known already, was that the planet was indeed utterly dead. The surface was hard rock, with no discernible nutrients present for plant life, assuming of course it was carbon-based to begin with. It was not until a week after our arrival that we ventured anywhere near the tree. Firstly, we checked the soil. Surely the soil must be different under the tree, we thought, else how was it growing. After extensive soil sampling we determined that it was just as dead as the rest of Rawlica II. The tree, or Rawlica Two-One as we had taken to calling it, was growing in rock, with no oxygen or carbon dioxide or any other kind of nutrient, except light from its local star, though it was noticeably less scarred from meteorite strikes and the like than the rest of Rawlica II. We detected no atmospheric changes in its proximity either. We took a sample of wood that had fallen from it and cut a chunk out, for even a single fallen branch was twice the size of our landing shuttle. Our ship was not built for scientific quarantine, so we kept it in the airlock. Its composition was like a hardwood from Earth, but much denser. Storing as much of it away as we dared, we returned to the planet surface to continue surveying. We had resigned ourselves to the fact that even if we spent a year here it would still be a cursory examination at best, so we focused on the surface of the tree and would leave the inner workings to a team with better equipment and time. We considered scaling the tree with rock-climbing gear, but an immediate problem was the gravity; it was greater than on Earth and we could have to carry ourselves plus all our space-survival equipment with an increased weight of about 10%. A possible task, sure, but unnecessarily dangerous. So, we descended as much as we could with our larger craft and used our scanning and camera equipment to survey the trunk, branches and canopy, though the canopy was so utterly vast that we had to rest on the horizon to see beneath it. The canopy was as mind-boggling as the sheer size of the tree. We discovered why the ground beneath the tree was relatively undamaged; the canopy was so vast and dense that it absorbed the impacts. On our examination of it we would on occasion see piles of broken and blackened branches surrounding a large rock. The tree had leaves, for lack of a better word. Some were regular, like you'd find on a terrestrial oak. Others could probably double as the flotation-platform for some of the ocean towns out in the Atlantic, they were so big. Looking back at it I'm glad the tree had nothing living in it. Just imagining the scale of such lifeforms gives me goosebumps.

Then we went onto the trunk. Even after having seen the canopy and the root-net, it was so insanely wide. You can literally fit a small country in there, we did the measurements on-site. But whatever we were intending to examine around the trunk, we quickly put to the back of our minds. Because that was when we discovered the fruits. You know how they look, but I'll say it anyways. They were large and bulbous, like a vertically-ridged pear, if pears were as big as sedans. Yellow skin with some slight transparency, with some fluorescent elements inside. Dashiko remarked that it was incredible we hadn't seen them sooner when we were down at the roots, because now we knew what to look for, they were everywhere, almost a new starfield against the dark tree-trunk.


	3. The Golden Gourd

The Rawlica Gourd? Some say it was the find of the century, or at least the second after the Rawlica Regent, I mean Rawlica II-I. Sure, we've found a number of fruit-analogues on other life-bearing planets since humanity escaped Earth, but none have exhibited such a compatibility with the human physique. Centauri-berries came close, but they turned out to be harmful to the lungs roughly a decade after consumption. And lest not forget the Neo-Starfruit. Passed the research phase only for its genetic makeup to turn into an IED after being eaten by rats. To my knowledge testing stopped dead right there.

Not so the Gourd. After an extensive period of research, it was deemed not only to not be harmful to humans, but indeed to be suited for human consumption! Every test-person called it delicious, and the fruit seemed to perform beyond what its nutritional content should allow. Multiple theories have been put forth as to why, such as its specific combination of vitamins and amino-acids becoming greater than the sum of its parts. Whatever the specific reason, someone dining on Rawlica Gourds as much as possible eats less than a fifth of what a terrestrial diet would require. A significant portion of the fruits were reserved for research, but the Rawlica Regent is so vast that it produced plenty of fruits for there to be a surplus to make available to the public. Initially the difficulty in acquiring supply meant it was only affordable for the richest, but soon transport companies began specifically shipping the fruits, so supply rose briefly. Then concerns appeared that the tree might be drained of the fruits or that they served some specific function. Thus, the Gourds were again barred from export except for research purposes, but steps had already been taken to cultivate replanting of the giant tree. Perhaps understandably the governments of Earth banned any replanting on Earth soil once it was discovered. After the first offender was tried like a war criminal and his 'grove' jettisoned into space, I imagine a lot of as-of-yet undiscovered projects were swiftly dismantled.

Nevertheless, groves of Rawlica Regents started appearing over the following decade. I believe Mars had the first confirmed sapling, with the dark side of the moon following suit a few months later. Perhaps not so surprisingly given its original environment, the saplings grew with no discernible trouble in soil closer to home, though no sapling has ever really exhibited any differences in growth speed or pattern, regardless of where it was planted. Granted, Mars and the moon are hardly greenhouses, but I believe a sapling was planted on Kiir-V, a living world like Earth, and the Regent grew at the same rate as the ones planted in much more hostile environs.

Oh, and another thing. You've seen pictures of the original Rawlica Regent, everyone has. If we ignore its abnormal size for once, it's a crooked tree. It's like something you'd see in the ancient forests in northern England or the Schwarzwald in Germany. Yet, the Regents grown from its saplings are nothing like that. They stand up straight, uniformly so regardless of the gravity of the world they're planted on, like the prongs of a candlestick. Why would a tree that normally grows ramrod-straight upwards become so gnarled and twisted?


	4. Gathering

Rawlica-II was a dead and barren world, devoid of life, atmosphere and unique natural resources. It did have one outstanding feature, found nowhere else in the galaxy. A tree unlike any other, hundreds of miles tall and wide, growing in the dead rock. In the decades that followed mankind discovering it, a city had grown around it, slowly spreading in circles around where the roots of the tree dug into the planet. A city of scientists dedicated to the study of something wholly unique in the galaxy. It quickly grew beyond that original purpose, housing people of great wealth and their servants, then entertainment then humans from all walks of life, unified as a city by their shared interest for their Regent that was forever visible from any place in the city. Despite its proximity to the great tree, the city was forbidden from harvesting the gourds that hung like a small starfield against its trunk, forced by law and tradition to import the fruits from other planets.

Francis leaned back in his wicker chair and had a sip of his wine. A lovely red, it had sat in its bottle for over half a century before he had opened it. _"A world before the Regent was discovered," _Francis pondered, _"What a thought."_

"What's on your mind?" Guuka asked. His lovely companion rested her hand on his while she gracefully poured herself another glass of the red. The dim light of the lounge was a lovely compliment to the deep tan of her skin.

"Oh, nothing, nothing my dear. Just admiring the view." He replied, lightly squeezing her hand.

She giggled, a sound of eternal delight to him. "Referring to me or the landscape?"

"Why limit my scope?"

Guuka giggled again, holding her delicate fingers to her lips.

"I am so happy that I came here to this colony." Guuka said after a pause. Her lips were curved into a smile.

"It was 4 years ago, right? I remember you saying you were in _La Cuterre_ for your anniversary." He responded.

"Mmhm. I grew," Guuka paused for a second, "Bored with my job, and the colony sounded like a change of pace."

"Curious," Francis said and took a sip of wine, "I thought much the same when I moved here 6 years ago."

"That was when you'd won the Waabi Corp versus Sav4G case, correct?" A voice asked with a definite german accent.

Francis supressed a groan and turned as nonchalantly as he could. Henrick was standing behind his chair, a glass of whiskey in his calloused hand.

"That case was high profile. TV appearance fees on top of, what I assume, a pretty hefty salary." Henrick continued.

"Indeed it was, Henrick. Gave me the means to change my life and move here." Francis replied, squeezing Guuka's hand. She returned the gesture.

There was a moment of silence as they looked out of the view-glass, the Regent dominating the horizon. Any view-glass looking inwards in the colony was built to show the massive tree. Initially it was a building requirement for the scientists and botanists manning the then-research-base, but it had since become a symbol of culture for the colony. Conversely, there were rarely view-glasses put in that looked outwards.

"Have you heard the news?" Henrick broke the silence.

"About the new arrivals? I believe I've heard about some of them before." Francis replied.

"The ones that are going to find employment outside of the construction force?" Guuka added with a smile. He smiled back.

"Not quite. The council vote has been tallied. Iina took the lead with some two thirds of the votes." Francis said.

"Good man, deserved it," Guuka replied, "And on that note I think I must be of. My employer will want to start preparations."

She bowed and gave Francis a quick kiss, then left. He knew that she was no big fan of Henrick. Neither was Francis, but they were ultimately colleagues, so he had to make an effort to get along. In Henrick's defense, the german businessman seemed to know it and rarely intruded.

"May I sit?" Henrick asked, and Francis nodded in reply.

"Iina wants to scale down scale research on the Regent, says we have no place to meddle in something so singularly unique." Henrick said after another sip of his whiskey.

"Sounds like her alright. In the decades since its discovery we have yet to see anything like it in any star system. Yet it seems to be able to grow anywhere." Francis replied.

"Earth still forbids it, but every other inhabitated planet has at least one Regent growing, though only a few have grown enough to supply gourds. Speaking of, here Jonesy comes."

The lounge's butler nodded at the two gentlemen and placed a chilled bowl on the small table. A generous section of golden-looking gourd sat in the bowl, along with a couple of knives on a plate besides it. The gourds were a chef's dream; Delicious, healthy and nutritious, they take well to every culinary method devised by mankind since the earliest cavemen began cautiously holding raw meat over a campfire. How one decided to eat one was an important part of one's place in the culture in the colony. The latest trend among the wealthy was to eat it sliced as freshly as possible with no other preparation or additives.

The german dismissed Jonesy and sliced off a chunk with the sharp knife.

"You know," Henrick started, "This reminds of when I first tried some gourd, 10 years ago."

_"10 years ago?"_ Francis thought at the mention, recalling a night where, flush after a successful, and very lucrative, deal, he had purchased some of the fascinating new 'Regent Gourd' which was much the rage after its recent release into the public market. It had been in a fruit dessert. And hadn't Guuka mentioned that she had not actually eaten the fruit since trying it for the first time a decade ago?

"Something wrong, Francis? You look unwell." Henrick inquired.

"Oh, I am just fine. I just remembered I haven't eaten since last night." He replied and took a slice for himself. But he felt a disquiet that had not been there before Jonesy arrived. Thinking of some of the old terran crime novels he had read, he waited a moment before eating his piece of gourd, waiting to see if Henrick keeled over after eating but the german seemed just fine. What was it then, Francis pondered as he gingerly put the fruit in his mouth. The view out through the lounge's window did not dispel his disquiet, the horizon dominated by the mile-wide trunk of the Regent. As he chewed his nervousness slowly subsided. Maybe it had just been hunger, then.

Francis and Henrick sat by the large window, discussing the goings-on and possibilities for the future of the colony, while the colossal tree in the center of the ring of habitats and research labs watched quietly.


	5. Mr Kensaku's Bonsai

The sign hung from a pole stuck to the wall with a strong adhesive, the wooden shop-board swinging from it like something out of a fantasy movie. Japanese script spelled out a name that precious few inhabitants of the colony could read, but the owner had helpfully added the English translation beneath it.

_Kensuka's Gardening_.

A kindly older man, he would tend to any greenery in the colony, provided he had creative freedom and would not be rushed. His work was well respected.

As a side-business, when Kensaku had the time, he sold manicured saplings that you'd call bonsai trees on Earth, though the lowered gravity in the colony meant they were grown a little differently than you'd normally see, being much spindlier and taller even when you applied the same techniques that had been taught to generations of bonsai shapers. At first it had frustrated Kensuka but in the time since he had first started his hobby it had grown to be a delight. After some urging by the community, he held di-annual exhibits of his creations, both private and commissioned, and the events were well attended both by the cultural elite of the settlement and the common workers. Kensuka tried to treat them equally.

It was at one such event when a kindly-looking elderly woman approached him during a conversation with a pair of former bankers. She waited with admirable patience for the two socialites to finish their account of a party where one of Kensuka's bonsais had been a center of attention.

"Mr. Kensuka, might I ask a question?"

"Of course, feel free, Mrs?"

"Ah my name is Lena. I would just like to ask, if it is no bother, why bonsai trees?"

"You see, when I arrived at the colony 5 years ago and I saw the Regent, it seemed like a bonsai-tree to me.

"You laugh, but just look at it. Ignore the size. See it's gnarled, bent roots and its flat-topped canopies. Remember that it grows straight as a rod if untampered. Only with special care does it exhibit any shape. It needs to be shaped and cultured, like a bonsai."

The woman asked no more questions after that and excused herself then left the party. Mr Kensuka wondered briefly if he had said something to offend her but put it out of his mind. He took a moment to savour a slice of fresh Gourd in sight of the Regent before re-joining the party, his discussion with Mrs. Lena gone from his mind.


End file.
